Assessing Au-Al wire bond reliability using integrated stress sensors

Wire bond reliability testing typically consists of aging bonds in a high temperature environment for long time periods, removing samples at intervals to assess bond shear strength and characterize the bond cross sections. In this way, the degradation of the bond can be monitored at discrete time intervals, and it is determined whether the bond will be reliable under long term operation at lower temperatures. This process is labour and time consuming. An alternative process is reported using piezoresistive integrated CMOS microsensors located around test bond pads. The sensors are sensitive to radial compressive or tensile stresses occurring on the bond pad due to intermetallic formation, voiding, and crack formation at the bond interface. Two sets of identical test chips are bonded with optimized Au ball bonds and aged for 2000 h at 175°C. One set is connected to equipment which monitors signals from the stress sensors, along with the contact resistance of the bonds. The other set of chips is destructively tested by shear tests and cross sectioning. It is found that the stress sensors are capable of indicating which stage of intermetallic growth is currently being experienced, by relating the signal to the relative density of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) which form during aging. The sensors can detect the consumption by IMCs of each Al layer in a multilayer pad, and can monitor the formation of AuAl₂ which indicates an advanced stage of aging. Sensor signals combined with contact resistance measurements provide a valuable tool for preliminary reliability studies, and give real-time insight into microstructural changes. Drop in shear strength of a ball bond is detected by a change in the microsensor signal combined with a contact resistance increase.